Sports Performance

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MISSION STATEMENT AND PHILOSOPHY
 We are great servant leaders and teammates to the individual athletes and teams we serve.  We provide a comprehensive, innovative, integrated science-based, data driven approach to strength and conditioning, nutrition and sports psychology.  It is our goal to develop champions in life through competitive excellence, social responsibility and integrity both in and out of the classroom.

PROGRAM PRINCIPLES

  1. Overall body strength development
  2. Injury reduction and injury prevention
  3. Focus on the Posterior Chain
  4. Hip mobility and strength
  5. Core Strength – Building from the “inside-out”
  6. Specificity in training
  7. Multi-joint exercises prioritized first in workout
  8. Exercise variation within the program
  9. Movement is the foundation; can’t have power without strength and strength without movement
  10. Head and neck training for concussion prevention (if there is a risk in the sport) 

 COACHING PRINCIPLES
  1. Show the athletes you care about them.  Trust is always earned, never given.
  2. Coach the person…not the athlete.  Know your athletes and understand that within a team there are individuals that have different needs and respond in different ways.
  3. Communicate with your sport coaches (no surprise rule) and establish clear goals and achieve those goals.
  4. Be an expert and make the athletes feel that you are the best coach and teacher in the nation.
  5. Motivate your athletes to work at a championship level every time they step foot in the weight room, regardless of the situation.
  6. Get your athletes to reach their potential; we are measured by the results and our effort determines these results.
  7. Show the athletes how each individuals’ performance can contribute to the success of the team.
  8. Be a good role model, both in the weight room and in life…i.e. always be on time, look and act in a professional manner. 
  9. Always teach the fundamentals first; coach before and after every set, never during a set
  10. Always have attention to detail and always be consistent in your  coaching…consistency is everything.
The goal of the Santa Clara Sports Performance Department is to design programs that will focus on building strength and power, flexibility and muscle stability while correcting imbalances to preserve the athlete’s health.  All programs can be individualized for each player, working in conjunction with the style of play the coaches utilize in order to best serve the needs of the players and the team.

Our philosophy is built on preparation: preparing each player for the rigors of a long season.  Along with preparation come education.  We want to educate each athlete on the importance of not just getting in shape, but staying in shape throughout the course of their entire career.   Staying in good physical condition not only improves performance, it also decreases the chance of injury.

PHILOSOPHY
 Our philosophy will be to work from the “inside-out.”  Muscular balance and stability will be a primary focus of our programs, with an emphasis on: 
  • Strength and Power
  • Full body stabilization exercises 
  • Injury prevention and injury reduction
  • Focus on the posterior chain

Movement patterns, both in the weight room and speed, change of direction, quickness and conditioning sessions will be a vital component of the program. Athletes need to be able to move quickly and effectively in a chaotic environment.  The weight room will be used to build strength, explosion, balance and stabilization.  However, we will also stress to each athlete the importance of warm-up and cool down sessions.  Warm-up is a vital part of the program because it not only gets the body physically ready to perform at the highest level possible, but it also assists in relaxing the mind before a training session, practice or game.  Cool down will be utilized to enhance recovery by slowly letting the athlete recover through stretching or some sort of flexibility variation.

Explosiveness
 In sports, speed kills, so if a player lacks the necessary explosion to compete at collegiate level, we want to add that component to a players’ arsenal.  All variations of explosive lifts can be utilized, and their use will be based on the individual needs and skill levels of each player. 

Conditioning
 No matter what the sport, conditioning is the most important component in an athlete’s training.  we truly believe that a good conditioning program can make or break an athlete’s performance.  Even in a heavy anaerobic sport (i.e. tennis, football), aerobic conditioning is important to build stamina, maintain health as well as assisting in the development of strength and anaerobic training, especially as the season nears. To train the aerobic system, we will use many different methods, such as interval training or heart rate monitor bike rides.  Conditioning is just one piece of the overall puzzle of preparation, and, if implemented properly, is a powerful tool in the toolbox.

Flexibility/Mobility
 Flexibility and mobility training will be a primary focus of what we do with the athletes.  The different types of flexibility training that will be utilized will include, but not limited too static, dynamic and partner-assisted and PNF.  Bands and stretching ropes will also be used to assist in stretching.  Mobility training will constantly be integrated in training sessions, whether is from a secondary lift or in the warm-up, I will always include mobility in the session.

Core Stability
 The core is the centerpiece of the body and will be worked in some way in every exercise performed.  However, that doesn’t mean sit-ups and crunches.   If posture is correct, a person’s core will be worked in every training session.  The emphasis will be on core stability and overall body strength will be built around the strength and stability of the core.

If an athlete can maintain a solid and strong center of gravity, then he will be able to generate more force than his opponent and will also be able to perform at a higher level, maximizing his abilities as a collegiate athlete.

Periodization
 We use a periodization approach to our training cycles, meaning we split up each phase into a macrocycle.  Within that macrocycle, there will be mesocycles and microcycles, breaking the training phase into an even more complex part.  This method will be used throughout the course of the year and in all facets of program design.  With the use of effective periodization, we will potentiate phases to maximize the effect of training.

CHAMPIONSHIP LEVEL PERFORMANCE

 GOALS
 It is the goal of the Sports Performance Department to make sure that the athletes are in the best possible shape, both physically and mentally to play their sport at the highest level.  Toughness through overcoming challenges is a trait we want every athlete to gain through their work with us.  It is a trait that will be developed through constant challenges they will face during each training cycle, regardless of the time of year.  Our goal will be to have the athletes stronger in the second half than they were in the first.  To be better conditioned and more physically dominating than our opponent.  It is with these goals in mind that the foundation for our philosophy has been built.